Indigenous Experiences
New South Wales

From exciting walkabout tours to sand dune adventures, there are many unique experiences in New South Wales that will give travellers a true taste of Australian Indigenous culture.

Aboriginal Blue Mountains Walkabout, Blue Mountains

Aboriginal guide, Evan Yanna Muru, leads participants along the song line (story of place) through wild bush and rainforest in the Blue Mountains, to discover sacred sites of the Dreamtime and cultural traditions of the local Darug people.

The tour consists of two hours of walking and four hours of relaxation and interpretive activities. Visitors will discover ancient art sites and artefacts, learn about bush medicine, taste bush tucker, observe stunning scenery and native wildlife, learn ochre bark and body painting and connect with the Dreamtime through storytelling, art, rituals and dance.

How to get there: Faulconbridge Railway Station is just over an hour by train from Sydney (trains depart from Central Station). There are also trains from Lithgow or Katoomba. By road, turn off Great Western Highway opposite Faulconbridge Station into Railway Parade.

Australian Museum – Indigenous Tourism Packages, Sydney

The Australian Museum houses more than 18 million objects representing the environmental and cultural history of the Australian and Pacific regions.

The Indigenous Australians exhibition illustrates the richness and diversity of Indigenous Australia and shows the impact of the past 200 years of European settlement on traditional cultures – their losses, hardships, struggles and ultimately, their survival.

Within the museum, visitors can enjoy Indigenous performances and experience Indigenous artefacts including boomerangs, clap sticks, dilly bags, didgeridoo and storytelling packages, exploring the diverse beliefs and cultures of Australia’s first people.

How to get there: The Australian Museum is centrally located adjacent to Hyde Park, just a short stroll from the Sydney CBD and close to Museum, Town Hall and St. James railway stations. It is also serviced by the Sydney ‘Hop on, Hop off’ Bus and suburban bus routes.

Aboriginal Heritage Tour, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

The Aboriginal Heritage Tour at Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney is led by an Aboriginal Education Officer who teaches visitors about the diverse history and culture of the Aboriginal people of Sydney.

The tour explores the rich Aboriginal heritage with demonstrations of a range of artefacts and bush foods. A 52-metre interpretive ‘storyline’ tells the Aboriginal history of Sydney from the Dreamtime to present day.

A self-guided Aboriginal walk is also available which takes approximately one hour to complete

How to get there: Access the gardens by train, bus, ferry or car. The nearest train station is Martin Place, jump on the Sydney Explorer Bus, take the ferry and walk from Circular Quay or drive (there is metered parking on Mrs Macquarie’s Road, Hospital Road and Macquarie Street).

Eco Treasures, Sydney

Eco Treasures offer an easily accessible urban Indigenous guided tour in Sydney. Guests can gain insight into Sydney’s Aboriginal culture and history on a walking tour with an Aboriginal guide. The tours head out along the shores of Sydney Harbour to check out ancient rock engravings, rock art, hand stencils and midden sites in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Guests can learn about Aboriginal culture, bush medicines and foods and also get a hands-on experience with the traditional clapping sticks. The expert guides also tell stories about the amazing landscape, culture as well as traditional and contemporary Aboriginal lifestyles.

How to get there: Meet at Circular Quay or get picked up at your hotel lobby in Sydney CBD.

Galnyamba Friday Creek Retreat, Mid North Coast

Galnyamba Friday Creek Retreat is a small exclusive retreat located 25 minutes inland from Coffs Harbour.

The Retreat’s name, given by the Gumbaynggirr people, means ‘anciently respected place of spring water’. Guests can participate in a range of half day to four day Aboriginal cultural experiences offered by the Gumbaynggirr people.

The Gumbaynggirr Elders share stories that explain the interconnectedness of all living things - the mountains and the nearby ocean; the animals and plants - and their relationships with each other and with us as custodians. Guests will also learn about the food sources that are local to this country and how people lived and survived in the old days and how these foods are respected and eaten in the modern day.

How to get there: Galnyamba Friday Creek Retreat is a 25 minute drive from Coffs Harbour.

Harry Nanya Tours, Mungo National Park

At the World Heritage listed Mungo National Park remarkable archaeological finds point to human occupation of Aboriginal people dating back over 40,000 years. Traditional Paakantyi man, Graham Clarke, shows visitors the site of one of the most significant archaeological finds in Australia.

The journey begins in Mildura, Victoria or Wentworth in New South Wales; guests will enjoy a scenic tour through the Willandra Lakes to Mungo National Park. Here, guests will discover the breathtaking scenery of Lake Mungo, characterised by the 30-kilometre (18.6 mile) crescent lunette of sand dunes and the Walls of China.

Full day tours run during the day in the cooler months of the year and in the afternoon through evening in the warmer months.

How to get there: Mungo National Park is located 110 kilometres (68 miles) from Mildura in Victoria. Flights to Mildura are available from Melbourne, Sydney, Broken Hill and Adelaide.

Nura Diya – Taronga Zoo, Sydney

Nura Diya, meaning “this country or camp”, takes guests on a journey through Taronga Zoo as they hear stories about the strong links between Aboriginal culture and wildlife, told through the perspective of an Aboriginal guide. Australia’s amazing animals are shown in a new light as guests discover the binding relationships between flora and fauna and hear stories of the Dreamtime, describing the creation of creatures and the landscape. Visitors learn the centuries-old traditional uses of plants for food and medicine while enjoying interactive experiences with unique Australian wildlife including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and a vast array of Australia’s birds. Ideal for those who would like to come up-close to wonderful Australian animals and discover more about Australia’s rich cultural heritage

How to get there: The easiest way to reach Taronga Zoo is by ferry, just 12 minutes from Circular Quay.

Sand Dune Adventures, Port Stephens

Learn about culture, bush tucker, dig for fresh water and see one of the many Aboriginal midden sites on the beach, all whilst riding a quad bike…culture and adventure at its best!

Experience the magnificence of the Worimi Sand Dunes on Stockton Beach, riding from bush to beach with expert Indigenous guides. Take in the wonders of the highest coastal sand dunes in the southern hemisphere, the glorious coastline views and learn about the Indigenous history of the land, all whilst riding a 400cc quad bike.

All tours are tailored to meet the needs and experience of the customers.

As well as regular 1, 1.5 and 2-hour tours, Sand Dune Adventures can cater for individual groups' interests with specifically tailored programs.

How to get there: Sand Dune Adventures is located 3 kilometres north of Newcastle Airport, heading towards Nelson Bay, and is an easy 2.5-hour drive from Sydney CBD.

The Rocks Dreaming, Aboriginal Heritage Tour, Sydney

Be touched by the earth’s most ancient human culture on a 90-minute leisurely walkabout and journey into Dreamtime, led by a fascinating Aboriginal guide who will enlighten visitors with cultural knowledge.

The Rocks Dreaming Aboriginal Heritage Tour is completely Aboriginal-owned and was developed by Aboriginal Elder Margret Campbell, a Dunghutti – Jerrinjah woman.

The tour gives visitors the opportunity to discover how the ancient Aboriginal Dreamtime is still alive within the modern Sydney landscape and how the billion-year old harbour, marine environment, sandstone strata, waterways, flora and fauna continue to influence how Aboriginal people live today.

How to get there: Tours depart from Cadmans Cottage (110 George Street, The Rocks). This is located a few minutes walking distance from Circular Quay train station and Ferry Wharf.

Tri State Safaris – Mutawintji Eco Tours Broken Hill

Award winning Mutawintji Eco Tours, operates small group tours to Mutawintji National Park and other areas of cultural and ecological significance.

Mutawintji (pronounced moota win jee) is an Aboriginal name which means “place of green grass and waterholes” and visitors will find many beautiful gorges and majestic River Red Gums here. This idyllic place is home to a wide variety of wildlife and numerous relics of European settlement.

Participants visit the Cultural Centre to learn about the creation of Mutawintji in the Dreamtime and listen to the interactive story of Kullawarra. Interpretive bush walks guide visitors to rock engravings and hand stencil galleries.

How to get there: Mutawintji Eco Tours is accessible by air or rail from Sydney and Adelaide and by road from Sydney (1,150 kilometres/714 miles), Adelaide (500 kilometres/310 miles) and Melbourne (900 kilometres/559 miles).

Waradah Aboriginal Centre, Blue Mountains

Some of the best Indigenous dancers, song men and didgeridoo players perform amongst breathtaking artwork at Waradah Aboriginal Centre, where the emphasis is on sharing their culture to educate visitors.

Performances last 15 minutes and are scheduled on the hour, at the following times seven days per week: 10am, 11am, 11:30am, 12noon, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.

The Centre houses a magnificent art gallery where visitors can see a range of works from local Aboriginal artists as well as a large collection from the Central Desert region. A unique selection of artefacts and merchandise can be purchased from the gift shop.

How to get there: The Waradah Aboriginal Centre is situated at Echo Point in the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park, just 90 minutes from Sydney (heading west on the M4 motorway) and 50 metres (164 feet) from the famous Three Sisters in the Jamison Valley.